Lighting device for automobiles



Feb 18, 136. L, E, TARBOX M 3 LIGHTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1934 Feb. l8, 1936.." I L TARBOX- 2, 031,34Z

LIGHTING DEVICE 'FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed April 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE LIGHTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Leslie E. Tarbox, North ReadihgIMass. Application April 18, 1934, Serial No. 721,073

7 9 Claims.

The principal object of my invention is to provide efficient lighting of a number plate, especially the front number plate, of an automobile, particularly in cases where an accident occurs and the offending driver does not remain at the scene of the accident and particularly if a police ofiicer is on the lookout for a particular automobile.

Another object is to provide a firm mounting so that the device will not work loose under the severe jarring conditions commonly experienced in automobiling.

A feature of my invention consists in providing for throwing light across the number plate but preventing the light from being thrown longitudinally of the car as such longitudinal throwing might interfere with the ordinary lighting now used.

Another feature is a special form of reflector.

Other features will be pointed out below.

In the drawings v Figure l is a front elevation of a device embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4' is an enlarged section on line 44 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on line 5--5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged front elevation of th 'wall member described below;

Figure 7 is a bottom plan of the reflector; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the transparent member described below.

I show a front number plate I which may be attached to the body of the automobile in any suitable way. Mounted on the number plate is a bracket comprising an upper element 2 having a bent-over part 3 forming a recess to receive a portion of the top edge of the number plate and comprising a lower element 4 having a bent-over part 5 forming a recess to receive a portion of the bottom edge of the number plate. These recesses may, of course, be made of proper dimension to receive varying thicknesses of the edges of the number plate. Element 2 has an integral perforated flange 6 and element 4 has an integral perforated flange l. A bolt, having a head 8 engaging the top of flange 6, has a shank 9 passing through said perforations, the shank being in threaded engagement with nut |9.- Washers II and I2 are provided and spring 13 coiled around shank 9 abuts at one end against washer II and at the other end against flange l, the spring acting to lock the nut In in the'desired position, when the nut has been turned to the desired position, to clamp flanges 6 and I and consequently parts 3 and 5 in the desired position with relation to the number plate. Element 2 has inother three faces.

-versely of the device, from line 39.

tegral extensions l4 and l5, the latter being perforated to receive and hold socket [6 for electric lamp [1, the current coming through wire l8 from any suitablesource of supply.

The casing for the lamp includes, as one member, 'a rear wall [9 held by rivets 20 to the supporting extension l5. 'This wall has a horizontal forwardly-projecting flange 2| and also a 'forwardly projecting curved flange 22. Two tubular posts 23 are soldered at their tops at 24 i to the flange 2| and are soldered at their bottoms at- 25 to the flange 22.

' 2'3 and the lower curved wall 29 is perforated to "register with the bottoms of tubular posts 23. Packing 33 provides a tight joint between the two members of the casing so as to exclude Water, 25

dust or other objectionable matter.

The reflector, made in one piece of any suitable'reflecting material, is shown most clearly in Figure 7 and comprises four substantially flat faces 34, 35, 36 and 31', each face being in a plane different from'the plane of each of the Faces 34 and 35 extend up 'wardly, transversely of the device, from line "38; Faces 36 and 31 extend upwardly, trans- Faces 34 and 36 extend downwardly, longitudinally of the device, from line and faces 35 and 31 extend downwardly, longitudinally of the device, from line H. Lines 40 and 4| extend upwardly from their-junction while lines 38 and 39 extend downwardly from their junction. This arrangement of the faces is highly effective in directing the light rays downwardly along the face of the number plate and transversely of the device so as to light completely the entire width of the number plate; All four faces of my reflector direct the light out transversely and the front races throw the light rays down and backward. The reflector is'preferablycut away at the corners '42 and 43 for convenience in inserting it into the casing.

-A curved plate 44 0f transparent material, such as glass, covers the opening 30 and, holds the reflector snugly in position against the top 'wall '21. The reflector and the glass plate are held against movement longitudinally ofthe denot to interfere with the down slope of faces 34 and 35.

The two members of the casing are held together by pins 45 and 45, each having a shank 41 which passes through a perforation in the top wall 21, and through .a tubular post 23, fitting snugly therein, and through a perforation in wall 29. Each pin has a barb orhook 48 so that when the pins are inserted the "two members of the casing are securely clamped together and are wedged between the shanks and hooks or the pins. Protuberances 40 are struck out or pressed out from wall I9 and the inward projection 50 on hook 48 springs-inwardly beneath protuberance 49 so as to lock the pin firefly in place.

The diffusion of different light rays '0 and b is indicated in Figure 5, the ray b passing just inside of the end of opening 30.

When my device is mounted on the number plate the current comes through wire l8 which may be connected to any suitable source of current within the automobile. The light rays are reflected as described above and-light upthe number plate not only throughout its entire face but my particular reflector lights thep'late evenly all the way across and the extent of the illumination longitudinally and transversely may be regulated by the size of opening 30. The light rays, such as 52, passing directly from the lamp transversely, light up the mud guards or bumper as the case may be so that a driver may be sure of judging distance, for passing purposes, between his own car and. an approaching car.

What I claim is: V

1. A device of the character described comprising a number plate; a light; a non-transparent casing around said light but having an opening; and a reflector within the casing and having two adjacent plane faces each extending upwardly and outwardly transversely of the device and acting to direct substantially all the rays from said light through said opening downward-1y along and across the face of said plate.

2. A device of the character described comprising a number plate; a light; -a non-transparent casing around-said light but having an opening :at its lower portion; and a reflector within the casing and having four faces, each face being in a plane different from the plane of each of the other three faces, and two faces being in advance of the other two, all four faces extending upwardly and outwardly transversely of the device, the two forward faces extending upward and rearward, longitudinally of the device, while the two rearward faces extend upward and forward, longitudinally of the device, said faces acting to direct substantially all the rays from said light through said opening downwardly along and across the face of said plate.

3. A device of the character described comprising a number plate; a light; a casing for said light, said casing comprising two members, one of said members having an opening; and a pin having a shank to engage said members to hold them together and having a hook to engage the outside of the other of said members; and a refiector within said casing to direct rays from said light through said opening along the face of said plate.

4. A device of the character described comprising a number plate; a light; a casing for said light, said casing comprising two members, one Of said members having an opening and one of said members having tubular posts and the other having perforations registering with the posts; and pins engaging said posts and perforations to hold said members together; and a reflector within the casing to direct rays from said light through said opening and along the face of said plate.

5. A device of the character described comprising a number plate; a light; a non-transparent casing surrounding said light but having an opening, said casing comprising two members, one being provided with an outwardly-extending protuberance; and a pin having a shank engaging said members to hold them together, said pin having also a hooked portion, the latter having an inner projection to engage beneath said protuberance to lock the pin against accidental displacement; and a reflector Within the casing to direct rays from said light through said opening and along the face of said plate.

6. A device of the character described comprising a front number plate; a light located in front of, and centrally above, said plate; a non-transparent casing substantially enclosing said light but having an opening at its lower portion, the

walls of said opening extending upwardly and outwardly transversely of the device; and a reflector within, but separate from, the casing and having two adjacent plane faces extending upwardly and outwardly transversely of the device and located so as to direct substantially all of the reflected rays from said light through said opening downwardly, and evenly sidewise, along the face of said plate.

and between, the edges of said curved transparent plate and said casing.

8. A device of the character described comprising a number plate; a light; a non-transparent casing around said light but having an opening;

and a reflector within the casing and having two adjacent plane faces each extending outwardly transversely of the device and also being inclined to the horizontal, said inclination of both faces being in the same vertical direction, said faces acting to direct substantially all of the reflected rays from said light through said opening and along the face of said plate.

'9. A device of the character described comprising a number plate; a light; a non-transparent casing substantially enclosing said light but-having an opening, the walls of said opening extending outwardly transversely of the device and also in a general vertical direction; and a reflector within the casing and having two adjacent plane faces each face extending outwardly transversely of the device and also being inclined to the hori- -zontal, said inclination of both faces being in the same vertical direction, said faces being located so -as to direct substantially all of the reflected rays from said light through said opening along the face of said plate.

LESLIE E. TARBOX. 

